- TX: Paxton’s former lawyer endorses Talarico in US Senate race
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A lawyer who represented Ken Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, for nearly a decade over accusations of corruption and securities fraud is supporting Democrat James Talarico – and not his former client – in one of the biggest US Senate races. Talarico on Monday drew attention to his campaign winning the endorsement of Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who was part of Paxton’s defense team during the Republican’s historic impeachment trial in 2023 that ended in acquittal. The legal troubles that shadowed Paxton in public office in Texas are a central attack line of Talarico’s campaign, though in his endorsement, Cogdell didn’t cite concerns about his client’s past. Cogdell said he didn’t dislike Paxton as a person and felt that Texas lawmakers were right to eventually acquit the attorney general. But as a politician, Cogdell said, Paxton is too focused on appeasing Donald Trump.” (06/09/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/09/ken-paxton-lawyer-endorses-james-talarico
- Sweden: Regime set to ban mobile phones in schools
Source: Seattle Times
“Long championed as a leader in adopting digital technology, Sweden is set to ban mobile phones in schools beginning in the fall for the next academic year as part of a broad, international reversal on the use of screens in classrooms. Since 2023, the Scandinavian country’s center-right coalition government has pursued a policy prioritizing more reading time and less screen time, particularly among preschool students, by favoring books and other traditional learning tools.” [editor’s note: The story hints, but doesn’t say, that mobile phones will NOT be banned in schools generally … just for students. Teachers and administrators will likely still be allowed to doomscroll to their hearts’ content – TLK] (06/09/26)
- Apple withholds new Siri AI from European devices; bureaucrats whine
Source: Politico
“Apple has said it would not ship its overhauled AI assistant on its devices in the EU, pinning the holdout squarely on Europe’s Big Tech market dominance rules. The iPhone maker on Monday announced its redesigned AI-enabled assistant, branded Siri AI, at its developer conference in Cupertino, California. Shortly afterwards, Apple confirmed that EU users will not get Siri AI on iPhones and iPads when its latest update ships this fall, with no timeline for when or whether that changes. … ‘We’re deeply disappointed that our EU users won’t have Siri AI on iPhone or iPad,’ said Craig Federighi, Apple’s software engineering chief, adding that the company hopes to bring it to the bloc eventually and will keep engaging with regulators. It’s the second time that Apple has held AI features back from the EU over the DMA, after withholding the original Apple Intelligence suite at its 2024 launch.” (06/09/26)
- Crew rescued after US military helicopter goes down near Iran
Source: Axios
“A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, and officials are investigating whether Iranian fire brought it down, two American officials and a third source with knowledge tell Axios. … Both crew members were rescued around 7:30pm ET, about two hours after the helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. They are in stable condition.” (06/09/26)
- Bolivia: Protesters, police clash in Bolivia after president signs law enabling a harsher crackdown
Source: ABC News
“Protesters in Bolivia demanding the resignation of conservative President Rodrigo Paz hurled firecrackers, stones and sticks at police who responded with tear gas on Monday, leading to dozens of arrests as road blockades continue to paralyze the Andean nation. The renewed clashes in the central city of Cochabamba erupted after President Paz signed a measure that could pave the way for a hard-line government crackdown on the demonstrations that have roiled Bolivia over the past five weeks, disrupting transportation and causing shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies. Bolivia’s national workers’ union, peasant farmers and Indigenous groups from the highlands — outraged over Paz’s scrapping of fuel subsidies and frustrated with his failure in the last seven months to resolve Bolivia’s persistent economic problems — have set up 90 blockades on key routes nationwide, effectively isolating major cities, especially La Paz, the seat of government and neighboring El Alto.” (06/09/26)
- Libertarian Party of New Hampshire to Appeal National Committee Disaffiliation
Source: Independent Political Report
“The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire is taking first steps to appeal its disaffiliation by the Libertarian National Committee, authorizing its state chair to petition the national party’s Judicial Committee on its behalf. In a resolution adopted June 4 and later shared to the LNC’s public Business List, the New Hampshire party’s Executive Committee repudiated a prior endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, reaffirmed its compliance with the Libertarian Party’s bylaws and Statement of Principles, and authorized Chair Jeremy Kauffman to formally petition the Judicial Committee on behalf of the disaffiliated state party. … Under Libertarian Party bylaws, the Judicial Committee will have 20 to 40 days after receiving the appeal from Kauffman to hold a hearing.” (06/08/26)
- Congo: Colonel Sentenced to Death Over Murder of UN Experts
Source: US News & World Report
“A Congolese military court has sentenced an army colonel to death for taking part in a conspiracy to murder two U.N. experts in central Congo nearly a decade ago, in a case that continues to raise questions about state involvement. At his first trial in 2022, Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni received a 10-year term for failing to assist persons in danger and disobeying orders. Military prosecutors appealed, arguing that he bore greater responsibility. The High Military Court in Kinshasa agreed, finding Mambweni guilty on Friday of the war crime of murder for actively orchestrating the killings, and sentencing him to death, according to a ruling reviewed by Reuters and the sister of one of the victims. Congo has not carried out an execution since 2003, meaning the sentence will in practice become life imprisonment.” (06/09/26)
- Judge blocks $100k H-1B visa fee imposed by Trump
Source: United Press International
“A federal judge ruled Monday that a $100,000 visa fee for U.S.companies seeking highly skilled workers from other countries is illegal. This voids the requirement set by President Donald Trump by a presidential proclamation in September. Judge Leo Sorokin said the policy violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal Administrative Procedure Act and that only Congress has the authority to change federal immigration policy to require the fee. The Trump administration says it will appeal the ruling.” (06/08/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/06/08/judge-ends-trump-visa-fee/1001780961521/
- Italy: Ben-Gvir under investigation over Gaza flotilla abuses
Source: The New Arab [UK]
“Italian prosecutors put Israel’s fanatical National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under investigation over the treatment of activists who were part of a Gaza flotilla last month, a judicial source said on Monday. The source, who asked not to be named, confirmed earlier reports by Italian news agencies and said Ben-Gvir was being investigated on suspicion of torture and kidnapping of Italian citizens who were among the activists. If the probe determines charges are warranted, prosecutors could lodge a formal request for trial. … Israel and Ben-Gvir have faced mounting international criticism after the minister, in late May, released a video showing abducted Gaza activists kneeling with their hands bound after Israel kidnapped members of the aid flotilla in international waters.” (06/09/26)
https://www.newarab.com/news/ben-gvir-under-investigation-italy-over-gaza-flotilla-abuses
- CA: Democrat Secures Second LA Mayor Spot and Ends Pratt’s Run
Source: New York Times
“Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat who has drawn comparisons to New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will face Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles in a two-person race in November, The Associated Press determined on Monday. Ms. Raman, 44, a City Council member and former Bass ally, was behind in the initial vote count but came back in later returns to edge out Spencer Pratt, a Republican reality TV star who lost his home in the 2025 wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal enclave. Mr. Pratt had jumped out to an early lead in a field of more than a dozen contenders, in part because Republicans, who make up about 15 percent of the city’s electorate, had coalesced behind him. But his margin shrank as ballots from thousands of liberals [sic] who voted closer to Election Day were processed.” (06/08/26)
- Chilling Effects of Trump’s War on Free Speech Extend Far Beyond Campus Walls and That’s the Point
Source: CounterPunch
by Bruce Schneier & Jon Penney“Younger Americans have soured on the second Donald Trump presidency, but they are not protesting it. Despite an unpopular Iran war and an even more unpopular Trump administration, college campus protests nationwide have gone silent. And at many schools, student activism is virtually nonexistent. This silence comes in the wake of a relentless Trump administration war on campus speech that has involved lawsuits, arrests, deportations and expulsions. … It’s increasingly clear to us that these impacts are not incidental or ancillary to Trump administration policy. Rather, the chilling effects are the point. This is the closest thing to a consistent governing strategy in Trump’s second term.” (06/09/26)
- Section 224 and the “Tunisia Test” in Foreign Policy
Source: Libertarian Institute
by RT Hadley“Imagine Congress debating a bill to integrate Tunisia into the National Technology and Industrial Base (NTIB). Shared military supply chains, joint research, and development, linked battlefield data, and a U.S. executive agent coordinating defense-technology cooperation between Washington with Tunis. Presented plainly, the proposal forces the reaction before the argument even begins. The instinctive question: Why Tunisia? Arrives uninvited. Yet that is precisely what Congress has already begun to normalize.” (06/09/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/section-224-and-the-tunisia-test-in-foreign-policy/
- Market Failure and the Market Process
Source: EconLog
by Jon Murphy“Market failure, which I am defining here as a market not reaching the equilibrium condition where quantity supplied equals quantity demanded, is ubiquitous. Every time we walk into stores, we see market failure happening: shelves and shelves of goods sit, waiting for buyers. This is excess supply (surplus), a market failure. If the market were in equilibrium and perfectly clearing, then when you (the marginal consumer) walk into a store, you should see only the good(s) in the precise quantity you want to buy at the price that precisely equals your willingness to pay for the marginal unit. Nothing else should remain. … Obviously, such an outcome does not exist. Some of the goods we want exist in surplus. Some exist in shortage. And, consequently, the market has failed. But this failure is vital to the workings of the market, broadly called the ‘market process.'” (06/09/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/market-failure-and-the-market-process
- Did CNN just out Azerbaijan as Israel’s secret military partner?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Eldar Mamedov“A new report suggests someone wants to burn Baku’s plausible deniability, which puts it in hot water with its Iranian neighbor.” (06/09/26)
- Hunter Biden’s New High: “The MAGA Whisperer”
Source: The American Conservative
by Spencer Neale“I get it, I’m not supposed to like Hunter. In fact, I’d wager that my name is on some list in the catacombs of an FBI vault for purchasing the Marco Polo hardcover copy of Hunter’s laptop files in 2022, the darkest days. But what can I say? I do like Hunter. And I’m certainly not the only one. On X, many right-wing accounts, which usually spend their days defending the sleepiest of Sleepy Don’s final days, were mesmerized by the younger Biden’s fever dream this week, liking and resharing his honest accounting of the sort of drug addiction and degeneracy that was once used to attack the elder Biden’s shivering and quivering administration. … Authenticity is the only currency left in American politics, and it’s ideologically neutral. Trump proved that a decade ago. Hunter is proving it now from the opposite side.” (06/09/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/hunter-bidens-new-high-the-maga-whisperer/
- The War in Iran Is Coming for Insulin Markets
Source: Independent Institute
by Raymond J March“Gas prices have increased 50% since the war began. Food prices have followed. The Consumer Price Index jumped 3.3% this April. Grocery bills jumped 0.7% in April. Such figures have not been seen since the peak of post-pandemic inflation. While it’s hard to ignore these costs, many Americans are not noticing the warning signs that higher prices and shortages for vital medications they rely on may soon be next, especially insulin. Supply chain experts at Stanford Health Care have flagged insulin syringes, generic drugs, and petroleum-based medical supplies as products at risk as oil prices rise and shipping costs climb. One logistics firm warned that consumers could see drug costs affected within four to six weeks of sustained disruption — a window that has already opened.” (06/08/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/06/08/war-iran-insulin-markets/
- Spotting “concrete boats”: Why solicitation sins doom contracts to struggle
Source: Niskanen Center
by Neil Miller“Long-term planning can be admirable. Some contracts — say, for construction — will genuinely take five or more years to finish up. Or when vendors need to make huge upfront investments, a long payoff timeline can entice qualified competition. Locking in five-year tech contracts, however, just allows the solicitation sins of the father to be visited upon their children a decade later: Between now and 2031 (or 2033), needs will change, technology will advance, and the project budgets will rise and fall.” (06/08/26)
- The White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Apparently Can’t Do Math
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“Congress can’t come close to balancing the budget by eliminating fraud in federal programs.” (06/08/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/the-white-house-deputy-chief-of-staff
- Quantum Vibe, 06/08/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott BieserCartoon. (06/08/26)
- Life Comes at You in Waves — And Sometimes It Brings Early Retirement
Source: Show-Me Institute
by James V Shuls“Life comes at you in waves. You graduate high school, watch friends start careers, get married, and have kids. Then social media shows you their children repeating the cycle. As a member of the Pacific High School Class of 1999, I didn’t expect to reach the retirement wave so soon. Yet a recent post stopped me: a high school classmate, still in his mid-40s, announced his retirement after 25 years in Missouri public schools. … He is retiring at exactly the age when most professionals hit their career peak—when experience, leadership, and judgment are most valuable. And that’s the problem. Missouri’s Public School Retirement System (PSRS) is pushing talented educators out of the classroom at the very moment students and schools need them most.” (06/08/26)
- The Good Fight, 06/09/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Rebecca Haw Allensworth on How Professional Licenses are Rigging the Game for Insiders.” (06/09/26)
- Show-Me Institute Podcast, 06/09/26
Source: Show-Me Institute
“Is America Family Unfriendly? with Tim Carney.” (06/09/26)
- The Dispatch Podcast, 06/09/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Decline of Donald Trump.” (06/09/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-decline-of-donald-trump/
- The Libertarian Angle, 06/08/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Disastrous Effects of FDR’s New Deal.” (06/08/26)
- Fountainhead Forum, episode 458
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Olivia Hayse on marketing and promotion and the Libertarian Party.” (06/08/26)
- The Kyle Anzalone Show, 06/08/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Jim Webb: Trump to Netanyahu: ‘You’re F**king Crazy.’” (06/08/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/guest-jim-webb-trump-to-netanyahu-youre-fking-crazy